Hitmonlee Revamp (QC 3/3) (GP 2/2)

<p>Hitmonlee is one of the few Pokemon in the game—let alone UU—with the ability Unburden. With its ability, Hitmonlee can double its Speed immediately and become an extremely threatening sweeper, like Yanmega and Sharpedo. That's not all Hitmonlee has going for it: it has a whopping base 120 Attack, a decent base 87 Speed, and great offensive options to utilize them with. Hitmonlee has a surprisingly high Special Defense to boot, which allows it to survive extremely powerful special attacks, such as Zapdos's Thunderbolt and Raikou's Extrasensory, and retaliate with a powerful attack of its own. Unfortunately, the fun ends there; Hitmonlee has an extremely low base Defense of 53, which makes it difficult for it to survive even resisted physical hits. However, with sufficient team support and good play, Hitmonlee can sweep whole teams.</p>

<p>Stacked boosts have always been a force to reckon with in battle. Hitmonlee uses this principle as its strategy for success. By consuming its Liechi Berry, it is able to obtain a power boost of 150%. Using up its item also permits the activation of Unburden, doubling its Speed and allowing it to outspeed the entirety of the UU metagame, including Kingdra in rain and Choice Scarf Raikou. Finally, 1 HP Reversal is a 200 Base Power nuke that can destroy all opponents that do not resist it. All this can be triggered in just one turn by using the move Endure, the catalyst for ultimate destruction. The science behind its power is this: Reversal's 200 Base Power, equivalent to Snorlax's Selfdestruct in this generation, multiplied by 1.5x because of Liechi Berry then another 1.5x thanks to STAB, results in an eventual raw Base Power destruction of 450, which will OHKO all Pokemon that do not resist it.</p>

<p>Hitmonlee is a flexible and versatile fighter, and can use various moves to break down its counters. Stone Edge is a popular choice, as it is able to bombard the Bug- and Flying-type enemies that resist Reversal; Earthquake is another hot option to take down the various Poison-types. If Earthquake is not needed, Close Combat, which is also boosted by its STAB, is an option to crush opponents while Hitmonlee is healthy. These powerful attacks are boosted by its Liechi Berry as well, therefore making no difference if they are used at 25% HP or at 1 HP. If Hitmonlee happens to consume the Liechi Berry, yet not quite at the 1 HP to unleash Reversal, it can spam the relevant coverage move to destroy enemies before it, only using Endure to maximize Reversal when absolutely necessary.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Hitmonlee's blazing Speed lets it outspeed even the fastest foes, such as Kingdra under rain and Choice Scarf Raikou and OHKO them with Reversal. In order to lure opponents into triggering Endure, Hitmonlee can elect to feint its opponents with Fake Out, causing its opponents to let down their guard and attack Hitmonlee, only to become victims of the Endure and Reversal combination. Mach Punch is a plausible option to strike the opponent with priority, being able to bypass the priority of other Pokemon after Endure and bypass the Speed of other Pokemon before Enduring.</p>

<p>Some enemies have priority to outspeed Hitmonlee, such as Azumarill, Honchkrow, Bisharp, and Houndoom, and KO it at 1 HP. Mach Punch can be used to finish off these weakened enemies. Arcanine's ExtremeSpeed can take down Hitmonlee in the blink of an eye, so it should be destroyed before Hitmonlee appears on the battlefield. Gligar and Qwilfish resist Reversal, and have massive Defense stats that allow them to tank multiple Reversals. To sweep, Hitmonlee will need aid from teammates to either severely weaken or remove them. Offensive Water- and Electric-types, such as Hidden Power Ice Raikou and Earthquake Swampert, can eradicate these foes with their STAB attacks. Psychic- and Ghost-types also resist Reversal. A Dark-type, such as Zoroark or Honchkrow, can be called upon to eliminate these threats from the field. Abomasnow can create an unnatural blizzard to buffet Hitmonlee with ice, rendering the EndRev strategy useless. A manual weather setter can be used to summon sun or rain to neutralize the hail after Abomasnow is defeated. Hitmonlee is helpless against opponents who drop poisoned Toxic Spikes onto the field, therefore it requires the aid of Poison-types or Rapid Spin users such as Blastoise or Claydol in removing them before entering the field.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>A Bulk Up set can be used to patch up Hitmonlee's weak Defense stat while complementing its high Special Defense; however, it does not have synergy with its two main attacking moves, Hi Jump Kick and Close Combat, as Hi Jump Kick can cause problems with a miss and Close Combat negates Bulk Up boosts. A Reckless set with Life Orb has a niche thanks to Mach Punch, but is outclassed by Mienshao as a faster and more powerful sweeper. Knock Off is an option to remove items from bulky enemies such as Eviolite Gligar and Porygon2, or Leftovers from common switch-ins such as Suicune, Slowbro, and Crobat. This gives Hitmonlee an easier time beating its checks over the course of the match. However, this sacrifices an important coverage move. Hitmonlee can fulfill a niche as a Rapid Spin user, but is generally a much better offensive Pokemon than a support Pokemon. Close Combat can be used with Limber if you want reliability with power, although it's then outclassed by the other Fighting-types in UU. Choice Band can be used for Hi Jump Kick spam, but not only is it outclassed by Mienshao and Heracross, it is also unhealthy to be spamming Hi Jump Kick with Ghost-types so common in UU.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Gligar is a unique enemy, using Eviolite to become an unbreakable wall with a resistance to Fighting-type attacks, and Earthquake or Toxic to finish off 1 HP Hitmonlee. Hitmonlee therefore must enlist the help of its allies to take it out. Psychic-types, such as Slowbro, Mew, Cresselia, and Uxie, can resist a powerful Reversal and strike back with a super effective Psychic. However, they are unable to take more than one hit and must be kept healthy in order to survive. Ghost-types can also attack with Shadow Ball, as Reversal cannot touch them at all. Some of them, such as Sableye and Cofagrigus, can even use Will-O-Wisp to burn and cripple Hitmonlee for the rest of the match. However, note that Froslass and Chandelure should run from Stone Edge. Finally, Poison-types are also able to resist Fighting-type attacks and strike back with Toxic, causing Hitmonlee to be unable to live indefinitely at 1 HP. Qwilfish is especially effective here, as it can Intimidate Hitmonlee and neutralize the effects of its Liechi Berry.</p>

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One of the few viable users of Unburden

Pretty good Attack stat

Not just another Mienshao

Surprisingly high Special Defense that can survive one powerful Special attack

Liechi Berry activates at 25% HP; triggering Unburden at the same time; relating to a +1 Attack Boost and +2 Speed boost at the same time.

Hitmonlee can sweep with his attacks not including Reversal at 25% HP with the boosts

Reversal has 200 Base Power at 1 HP, also works in conjunction with the Unburden Boosts, resulting in an OHKO on all neutral enemies with a few exceptions

Self-Sufficient Sweeper

Several Coverage moves are available for Hitmonlee to use. Close Combat can be an option if you do not want to be locked into weak moves when unable to trigger Endure.

Stone Edge is for eliminating Flying Types or Bug Types or certain Ghost Types such as Venomoth, Yanmega, Chandelure, Crobat, Xatu and more.

Earthquake is to take down Bulky Poison Types such as Nidoqueen(Reversal OHKOs without any investment) and more. It has niche coverage compared to Stone Edge, so you can use Close Combat if you want a reliable Fighting STAB when not at 1% HP.

Weak to mind games

Requires extreme precision to be used correctly.

Delicate play is required to pull off a sweep, if unable to do so should use another pokemon.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

EV spread is straightforward, after the Unburden boost can outspeed Kingdra in Rain with the same nature and subsequently OHKO with Reversal.

Surprise factor is important; it is vital to make the opponent trigger Endure in order to win the game, Fake Out can be used to confuse your opponents.

Liechi Berry for obvious reasons

Mach Punch is another option to deal with priority users such as Honchkrow, Bisharp, Houndoom, Azumarill and more.

Needs Ghosts and Psychics, and also Gligar along with Qwilfish removed from the field before delivering a sweep

Ghost or Dark types such as Mismagius and Zoroak work well to eliminate the Ghosts and Psychics from the field; Ghost types have also the added advantage of Spinblocking

Offensive Water types or other pokemon with strong Ice type coverage such as Suicune, Azumarill, Porygon2 and Empoleon can be used to take down Gligar and Qwilfish.

Toxic Spikes ruin this set, can elect to run a grounded Poison type to absorb them or a Rapid Spinner such as Hitmontop or Blastoise to spin them away. Claydol is a good spinner being able to Ice Beam enemy Gligars and Earth Power enemy Qwilfishes.

This set is reliant on mind games, advised not to use Hitmonlee if weak at such battling skills

Choice Locked opponents make good lures to trigger Endure

A few neutral pokemon cannot be OHKOed by Reversal, for example Max/Max Suicune which is very common. In order to secure a OHKO without losing your Hitmonlee at 1 HP, you can set up Stealth Rock or Spikes to secure all kills against all neutral pokemon in the UU metagame.

Abomasnow is a special counter to this set because of the special residual damage it brings.

Arcanine is also a special counter to this set because of Extremespeed being able to bypass Mach Punch and the speed boost granted by Unburden.

If you are not using Mach Punch, you have to eliminate all other priority users before activating Endure, or else you may be easily revenge killed.

[Other Options]

A Bulk Up set can be used to patch up Hitmonlee's weak Defense stat will complimenting its high Special Defense. However, it does not synergise with Hitmonlee's 2 main attacking moves, Hi Jump Kick and Close Combat, as Hi Jump Kick can cause problems with a miss and Close Combat defeats the purpose of Bulk Up altogether.

A Reckless Set with Life Orb can be used with a niche role of Mach Punch, but is outclassed by Mienshao as a faster and more powerful sweeper.

Knock Off is an option to remove items from powerful enemies such as Eviolite Gligar, Eviolite Porygon2, or Leftovers from common switch-ins such as Suicune, Slowbro and Crobat. This gives Hitmonlee an easier time beating its checks over the course of the match. However this sacrifices an important coverage move.

Close Combat can be run with Limber if you want Reliability with power, although it can be outclassed by the other Fighting Types in UU

Hitmonlee can fulfil a niche as a Rapid Spin user, but is generally a much better Offensive pokemon than a support pokemon.

Choice Band can be used for Hi Jump Kick spam, but not only is it outclassed by Mienshao and Heracross, but it is also unhealthy to be spamming Hi Jump Kick with Ghost types all around.

[Checks and Counters]

Gligar has an extremely large Defense, and also resists Hitmonlee's main Fighting STAB, making it a good counter to Hitmonlee. A +1 Stone Edge only deals around 30% to Gligar, so it can easily roost off the damage and toxicstall or just finish off with Earthquake

Bulky Psychic types such as Slowbro, Mew, Cresselia and Uxie can be used to tank a Reversal and retaliate with a powerful Psychic. However, they must be kept healthy as a Reversal can 2HKO them.

Ghost type pokemon are always a hindrance to Hitmonlee, as its STAB Fighting attacks cannot even deal damage and Hitmonlee's coverage moves do not pack enough power to take them one on one. Several Ghost types such as Cofagrigus and Sableye also carry Will-O-Wisp which can put Hitmonlee out of the game. However, some ghost types are not considered counters to Hitmonlee, such as Chandelure and Froslass, as they are demolished by Stone Edge.

A few poison types in the UU metagame can also check Hitmonlee, especially Qwilfish with its Intimidate. However, some Poison types are unable to check Hitmonlee such as Crobat and Roserade, because Crobat loses to Stone Edge and Roserade is OHKOed by Reversal regardless.

I think you should say that the reckless set is mostly outclassed by mienshao, despit the priority move.
Scrap the life orb reckless set, or move it to OO. Apart from the priority move, there is no reason to use that over mienshao.

Your counters section really needs some work. You say list that Gligar and Qwilfish are "public enemies #1 / #2" and that "ghost-types aren't really that common in UU" but Cofagrigus hard counters Hitmonlee and is #18, and so does Sableye who is #24, compared to Gligar who is #22... and Qwilfish isn't even UU, it sits at #61 in usage stats.

Your three most common enemies that you're going to need to deal with are Cofagrigus, Gligar, and Sableye, with Slowbro being close behind. Cresselia deserves a mention because it is seeing a surge of usage and will more than likely be officially UU soon (instead of BL2). Beyond these Pokemon there's really no reason to mention things like Qwilfish or Tangrowth or Alomomola or Weezing who aren't seeing anywhere near the usage required to earn dedicated shoutouts.

Qwilfish is a direct counter especially with its Tspikes support, it is indeed public enemy #2 due to being one of the few non-ghost/psychic types that counter Lee. Cofag, Sableye and Slowbro can be removed by a run-of-the-mill Dark or Ghost such as Chandelure so they do not need that much mention, but Qwilfish is an anomaly so he is mentioned multiple times. Reversal 2HKOs slowbro but only 3HKOs Qwilfish and Gligar so yeah

Tangrowth and alomomola are rare but they're one of the 3 or 4 pokemon that you'll even see in UU survive a neutral +1 Base 120 Attack STAB 250 Base Power attack.(READ: 562.5 damage coming off Base 120 attack) The objective is to let readers know which mons they can and cannot OHKO, and should be put regardless of their usage stats

And to be honest, I think that's the only set that should be in the analysis. The second set is suspect at best and the third 100% outclassed by Mienshao, despite Mach Punch.

Reversal caps at 200 BP, not 250 btw. Otherwise it would be really fucking pointless to even mention things like Earthquake for Nidoqueen/Qwilfish, as not very effective Reversal would outdamage super effective EQ...

Moderator

I'd almost made a vow to refrain from posting while I was taking a break from studying freaking Economics, but there's a few things that need fixing here, outside from the stuff that LN and kokoloko posted.

While I also agree that the best and probably only worthy set is HitmonGOD, there's a few mixups there. Ghosts will definitely struggle to beat opposing Ghosts and Psychic-types, so I wouldn't mention them, instead Choice Band Lax is worthy for the Pursuit+Crunch mindgames, being one of the few good Pursuiters—although it can't really switch into Slowbro for fear of Scald, but fuck Scald anyway.
You also said Slowbro was 2HKOed by Reversal, which is a completely irrelevant—not to mention it isn't completely true—fact, considering Slowbro won't switch into a full-powered Reversal, it'll switch as you Endure. Outside of that, while Qwlfish is a pretty solid answer, there's the fact that it requires much more micromanagement due to not having Regenerator/reliable recovery. Also T-Spikes seem a bit inconsequential imo, since they aren't common, and especially Qwilfish has better things to do with its fourth moveslot.

Then there's the fact you're mentioning Abomasnow as a partner (!) to deal with bulky Water-types and Gligar, when you should actually mention Hail as a check. There has to be something wrong with that line of thought.

And finally, although this isn't so important but is something I realized, you're mentioning C&C from the perspective of the Hitmonlee user. That's what you do on the actual set(s), in C&C you mention ways to deal with the Pokemon, afaik. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's the way it's done.

Oh, and I think Venomoth, Tinted Lens in particular, should be mentioned as a check, as long as it avoids Stone Edge, due to that double resistance to Fighting and the fact that it can set up/Sleep on the Endure turn. It's hit hard by Earthquake, but it won't have to worry much for the Liechi boost and will only be 2HKOed by EQ.

EDIT: Lol PK, I was actually gonna make a comment about that name but I didn't want people to get offended... I agree that it sounds like shit, but my opinion alone wasn't gonna change that

I actually think the EndRev + Liechi set could use a unique name. Metal Sonic's not lying when he says that set can sweep a team, because i've witnessed first hand how useful it is lategame (Endure will guarantee that hazards won't mess you up, and an easy +1 / +2 is terrifying on a sweeper is terrifying) It doesn't have a huge presence in the metagame, but its a unique enough set that can wreck shop when given the chance. (And EndRev + Liechi is very ugly).

I'm not opposed to the 2nd set staying, since Unburden is an awesome ability, and being able to activate it on a whim is great. I'm actually glad you slashed Normal Gem with Figthing Gem, though I think you could stand to differentiate between the 2 items further. Fighting Gem is for more experienced players, and more useful in general, while Normal Gem is a crutch for players who want to give Hitmonlee an easy way of reaching +2 speed.

EDIT: Actually, I was assuming that C&C would come up with the name. No offense but HitmonGOD sounds really bad...
Maybe we should call it "Bruce Lee."

Reversal has 200 base power at its maximum strength, not 250. Abomasnow should get a mention as a special counter to the Reversal set for obvious reasons. Set order should be Endure / Reversal / Stone Edge / Earthquake, I don't know why Mach Punch is listed but it serves no purpose other than preventing Weavile from revenge killing you, which is much less important than being able to remove both Flying- and Poison-type Pokemon that would otherwise stand in the way of a sweep, instead of just one. Remember, Endure protects Lee from Fake Out, so that's a huge reason to run Mach Punch out the window. Mention it in AC if you like. Tangrowth, Weezing and Alomomola don't get enough usage to warrant a mention anywhere in the analysis, and Lonelyness is right about the C&C order, so you need to change that too. That's all for now, I'm skeptical about allowing the second set but I'll take another look later.

And finally, although this isn't so important but is something I realized, you're mentioning C&C from the perspective of the Hitmonlee user. That's what you do on the actual set(s), in C&C you mention ways to deal with the Pokemon, afaik. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's the way it's done.

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He's right about that, so make sure you avoid using your current format during the actual writeup.

Reversal caps at 200 BP, not 250 btw. Otherwise it would be really fucking pointless to even mention things like Earthquake for Nidoqueen/Qwilfish, as not very effective Reversal would outdamage super effective EQ...

Reversal has 200 base power at its maximum strength, not 250. Abomasnow should get a mention as a special counter to the Reversal set for obvious reasons. Set order should be Endure / Reversal / Stone Edge / Earthquake, I don't know why Mach Punch is listed but it serves no purpose other than preventing Weavile from revenge killing you, which is much less important than being able to remove both Flying- and Poison-type Pokemon that would otherwise stand in the way of a sweep, instead of just one. Remember, Endure protects Lee from Fake Out, so that's a huge reason to run Mach Punch out the window. Mention it in AC if you like.

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Unless you like to get fucked over by Honchkrow, Swellow, Azumarill, Weavile, Houndoom, Bisharps, and more, feel free to toss out Mach Punch

Stone Edge and Reversal are obviously staple, no exceptions moves. You can't not have them both. Earthquake is further coverage POST sweep attempt. Close Combat is better coverage PRE sweep attempt. These are the only attacks I would -ever- use on Hitmonlee.

UU Leader

anyway, i'm ok with moving mach punch to AC, but its a lot better than rt and ln are giving it credit for. it stops aboma, weavile, bisharp, houndoom, and low hp arcanine, honchkrow, and azumarril from ruining your sweep.

oh and about the name... endrev is the standard term for endure + reversal and has been since adv, which is why i made it that (you gotta admit its much better than "endure + reveral + liechi") but i'm ok with a different one. "bruce lee" sounds shitty though imo, so can we think of something better?? if we cant let's just call it "reversal".

ps. i still think we should take the second set out i wouldn't really use that over mienshao anytime... and why in the fuck is return in there? not to mention the first slash???

anyway, i'm ok with moving mach punch to AC, but its a lot better than rt and ln are giving it credit for. it stops aboma, weavile, bisharp, houndoom, and low hp arcanine, honchkrow, and azumarril from ruining your sweep.

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I just want to point out how pathetic Mach Punch's damage output really is:

Aside from Weavile, Houndoom, and Bisharp, Mach Punch is of very little use, and definitely not worth the loss of a coverage move. (I'm not even calcing Abomasnow since you should see how irrelevant that one is lol)

Moderator

I'm just gonna mention that, although I'm not sure Mach Punch is really necessary—especially since it won't even work against Arcanine, due to the different gen V mechanics for E speed—the calc against Honchkrow is actually pretty useful, considering the other guy probably won't predict Mach Punch (maybe you'll scout its move with Endure while you're at it), and Sucker Punch will fail if it doesn't go first. SO MP could be used for Weavile, Honch and Bisharp—and I guess Houndoom too. It seems cool enough for AC.

Even without Mach Punch though, you can still "beat" Bisharp/Honchkrow by winning the 50/50 prediction war on Sucker Punch by alternating between Endure and Reversal, so really the only relevant Pokemon you add to the "beat" list is Weavile. Definitely an AC option in my opinion.

Also I wholeheartedly agree with getting rid of the Gem set. I would never use it in UU. We shouldn't be advertising sets that I, along with the best players, would never use.

blaraedit: correcting that line as it falsely presents LonelyNess as one of the best players.

frankly, i'm undecided on removing the second set. i do agree its trash, don't get me wrong, but most trash players use that set, and i've seen trash players use the EndRev set just to fail... it is very shameful and brings me pain in my heart. lrn2rev

moving Mach punch to AC because of overwhelming support. I'll still always use machpunch, bisharp/sharpedo/honch can suck d

frankly, i'm undecided on removing the second set. i do agree its trash, don't get me wrong, but most trash players use that set

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Our analyses should be there to steer people AWAY from using trash sets. If a new player comes on to this analysis and sees the first set and thinks "oh, man, that seems difficult to pull off" and then looks at the second set and is like "Oh, well this is easier and it's in the analysis so it must be viable" what we're doing is creating a noob trap. The new player should look at the analysis and then either determine he's competent enough to use the EndRev set, or he should think to himself "I should really use a different Pokemon".

I somehow doubt that Revvin' It Up is more acceptable than the previous name. I don't see a problem with Bruce Lee personally, it's not a gimmicky name that someone came up with on the spot (Hitmonlee totally references Bruce Lee) and it's an unconventional set(it's one of, if not the ONLY viable endure reversal user in UU).

Before you can count this as QC 2/3, you need to fix up a few things. For one, you still have Reversal listed as 250 base power. Your set comments section is lacking any kind of mention of Stone Edge and Earthquake, and your comment about Close Combat belongs in Set Comments, not AC. Since Abomasnow and Arcanine are specific counters to the Reversal set only, they belong in AC, not C&C. And you still have that bit about Tangrowth and Alomomola. Remove it please.

Also, I really think we should change the name, Revvin' it up sounds terrible. I'm fine with Bruce Lee or just leaving it as "Reversal."